It’s almost Black Friday, and we’re counting the minutes until we can open the doors to Market Day’s biggest event of the year. This week, I spoke with Veronica Deitrick, the mastermind behind Dog in a Fez — which is THE place to find cute, handmade doggie headwear. We chatted about her holiday plans and what she has in store for her Market Day booth on Friday.

Hi Veronica! Thanks for chatting with me. To start things off, let’s talk holidays! How are you preparing for the holiday season — both personally and in your handmade business?
Personally, I have done almost no preparation at all. I tend to be a last minute person when it comes to holidays. I'm definitely capable of planning ahead, but for some reason I like the challenge of pulling everything together quickly.

For my business I have been doing a lot of planning. This is my first year of business so I'm still working out my designs and ideas. It's really fun to try things out and see what works and what other people respond to. I just finished creating "the Dog in a Fez Holiday Collection" — I'm now working on photographing all of the new hats and getting them up on the web. I'm also sewing like crazy to build up my stock for Market Day's Black Friday event.

And your dog (that's him above) is basically a Market Day celeb now. How does he like the holidays?
Fuku (Japanese for "good fortune") loves the holidays! He is always excited by any situation that allows him to socialize (and taste test human food). Last year he received a deer antler for Christmas, and I'm pretty sure that made it the best day he has ever had...

What are you looking forward to most in the next few months?
Spending time with my family and friends, Christmas carols, and pumpkin pie. I'm also excited to continue moving forward with my dog hat business. I've only been actively designing and selling since last June, and so far I've been really happy with the response. It seems like everyday I wake up with a new idea I can't wait to implement!

What can we expect to find at your booth at Market Day's Black Friday event?
Lots of hats for dogs (or cooperative cats)! In addition to fezzes, berets, turbans, sombreros and garden-party hats, I have been working on a variety of holiday themed hats. There will be several versions of elf caps and Christmas-themed berets and tams. I'm especially happy with the "Santa Beret". I think it will be perfect for fashionable dogs to wear to a party or for a Christmas card photo.

I try to make sure everything I do is fun and whimsical, so I hope everyone who comes to our booth leaves with a smile. My dog, Fuku, will be there as well. He loves to meet people & and is always willing to model any of the hats for our customers!

And anything else you want to talk about?
Just that I would really encourage everyone to stop by on Black Friday and visit us! It's always really fun and eye opening to see all of the really talented vendors at Market Day events. This is a fantastic chance to get unique quality gifts for the holidays and have fun while you’re shopping.

Thanks Veronica! See you on Friday!

Catch Veronica and Fuku at Market Day THIS FRIDAY from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kirkwood. And to see more of her work, check out her website, doginafez.com.